Parmesan Chicken

This is an outstanding, flavorful, and simple chicken recipe. I have no idea why it took me so long to make it, but I'm very glad I finally did (I made it for the first time 4 weeks ago and have made it 3 times since then.. its that good). It is an Ina Garten recipe from her cookbook Barefoot Contessa: Family Style and I have adapted it slightly. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

4 (~8oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon water

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated/ground parmesan (or more if you want)

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 lemon, halved and seeded

Take each chicken breast and pound until it is ~1/2-inch thick, using a meat mallet or a rolling pin. Cut each breast in half (you will have 8 thin chicken tenders). 

Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper in a dinner plate and set aside. Whisk together the eggs and 1 tablespoon of water in a dinner plate and set aside. Finally, mix together the breadcrumbs and the parmesan together in a dinner plate and set aside. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and once hot, add half the olive oil and butter. Dredge each side of each chicken breast first in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumb mixture, lightly patting the breadcrumbs to help them adhere. Place in the hot pan and let sizzle away. Sprinkle a little more salt on top, if you think it needs it, and squeeze a bit of lemon juice onto each cutlet as it is cooking. Once lightly browned, flip and cook on the other side- these do not take long to cook. Remove chicken from pan, add more olive oil and butter as needed and keep frying the chicken. 

Serve with a light salad of mixed greens. Mmmm-mmm-mmm. 

Blackberry Gin Fizz

I first saw this recipe earlier this month in the August 2012 issue of Bon Appetit. I drooled over the picture and recipe and then forgot about it until last week when Smitten Kitchen made and posted her version... beat me to the punch. It was good timing, though, because my folks were in town this weekend and I thought this was the perfect occasion to try a new cocktail.

And ohhh boy. Let me tell you about this cocktail. It is to die for. It goes down so easily that you can literally chug it, the way you'd take a bottle of lemonade from the fridge on a hot day and down the entire thing in 3 huge gulps. You will find yourself making another batch before you're even halfway finished with the first batch, because god-forbid you have to wait 5 minutes between tastes. Just do yourselves a favor and make this.

Serves 8.
Or 4 people twice.
Or 2 people four times.




INGREDIENTS
5-oz. ripe & juicy blackberries
4 ripe & juicy strawberries OR 10 ripe & juicy raspberries OR another yummy fruit
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 cups gin
2 cups club soda
basil leaves

Using a food processor (or immersion blender) puree the berries and sugar until smooth. Let sit for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a strainer set over a bowl to separate the fruit juice from the seeds; discard seeds. You should have about 3/4+ cup of berry juice.

In a large pitcher combine the berry juice, lime juice, and gin and stir well. Pour equal amounts in the bottom of each glass, add a handful of ice cubes, stir again, then top with equal amounts of club soda. Give it a quick and light stir and top with a basil leaf or two. Serve and enjoy!

Spicy Green Tomato Soup with Shrimp

This is another recipe from chef Ben Barker at the restaurant formerly known as Magnolia Grill (RIP). Yet another awesome soup that can be served hot or cold, which is a nice option for the serious heat-wave that we're experiencing. I've adapted it ever-so-slightly. Serves 8; soup base freezes beautifully.

SOUP INGREDIENTS
4 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 (scant) cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced thin
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalepenos, stemmed and sliced, with seeds
4 green poblano/pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and sliced
2 small cans fire-roasted diced green chiles
2 bay leaves
3 1/2 pounds firm green tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup basil leaves
3 tablespoons lemon juice
a few dashes of tabasco, to taste
salt & pepper

GARNISH INGREDIENTS
2 whole red tomatoes
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
garlic powder, paprika, salt & pepper
4 ounces cooked pancetta (from above)
1 cup sour cream, thinned with 2 tablespoons milk

Heat the pancetta and oil in large soup pot over medium heat until the fat is rendered from the pancetta and its nice and crispy. Remove the pancetta, reserve for later. Add the onions to the hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, but not browned. Add the garlic, jalepenos, poblano/pasillas, diced green chiles, and bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes soften. Remove the bay leaves, add the basil, and puree in a blender or food processor in batches. Put soup back in the large pot, add lemon juice, tabasco, and salt to taste. Keep warm if serving hot, or let cool and refrigerate if serving cold.

To make the garnish....
Bring a medium pot of water to boil and drop the whole tomatoes in for 10-30 seconds. Remove and immediately submerge in ice water to cool. After a minute or so, remove the tomatoes from the ice water and peel off the skin. Dice the tomatoes (removing the seeds and juice) and reserve for the soup topping.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat with a little olive oil. Season the shrimps with garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper and cook in the skillet. Remove from heat and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Once soup is ready to be served, place mounds of the shrimp in the center of a bowl, ladle the soup around the shrimp, and sprinkle the tops with pancetta and tomatoes. Finally, drizzle a bit of the sour cream on top... serve and enjoy!